TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama College of Engineering honored five alumni by inducting them into its 2016 class of Distinguished Engineering Fellows.
Each year, the College of Engineering inducts a select group of alumni and friends as Distinguished Engineering Fellows. Recognition as a Distinguished Fellow is the highest commendation given to graduates and others who have strengthened the reputation of the College of Engineering through their efforts.
Since the recognition’s inception more than 25 years ago, fewer than 400 individuals have been recognized as Distinguished Engineering Fellows.
The 2016 class includes Robert Drummond, of Houston, Texas; Vicki A. Hollub, of Houston; Pierce H. Norton II, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Jonathan B. Sharpe, of Huntsville; and Terry K. Spencer, of Tulsa.
The inductees were honored April 9 at a ceremony at the Embassy Suites in downtown Tuscaloosa. For complete biographies of this year’s Distinguished Engineering Fellows, visit eng.ua.edu/awards.
President and CEO, Key Energy Services
An accomplished executive with extensive oilfield business experience in operations, sales management and strategic planning, Robert Drummond has leveraged his engineering background to lead two oil and energy companies. Drummond graduated from the University in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in mineral engineering, petroleum option. He went to Louisiana to join Schlumberger North America, taking increasing responsibility until he was selected as president of Schlumberger North America, which had 23,000 employees across 16 business units with revenues more than $16 billion annually. After 31 years, he retired from Schlumberger in June 2015 to become president and chief operating officer for Key Energy Services in Houston, which provides well intervention services with operations in the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East and Russia. In March of this year, he was named CEO.
President and Chief Operating Officer, Occidental Petroleum Corp.
Vicki A. Hollub has been president and chief operating officer of Occidental Petroleum Corp. since December 2015. She is responsible for worldwide oil and gas operations, as well as the company’s chemical and midstream operations. Occidental is an international oil and gas exploration and production company, and one of the largest oil and gas companies based on equity market capitalization in the United States. Hollub brings nearly 35 years of experience to her role at Occidental, having previously held a variety of management and technical responsibilities on three continents. Hollub was elected to the board of directors in 2015. A native of Bessemer, Hollub graduated from UA in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in mineral engineering, petroleum option, and joined Cities Services, which was acquired by Occidental in 1982.
President and Chief Executive Officer of ONE Gas
Pierce H. Norton II from Heflin earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University in 1982. Norton worked for several companies in the energy industry before, in 2004, joining ONEOK, a diversified energy company and general partner of ONEOK Partners, a national leader in the gathering, processing, storage and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids. At ONEOK, Norton held roles of increasing responsibility and, in 2011, was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners. In January 2014, ONEOK spun off its natural gas distribution business to form ONE Gas headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Today, Norton is president and chief executive officer of ONE Gas, one of the largest publicly traded, 100-percent regulated natural gas utilities in the United States.
Huntsville Site Director; Director, Weapon Systems Integration, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.
In a career dedicated to our nation’s civil space and missile defense programs, Jon Sharpe developed and implemented innovative solutions to challenging problems, along the way strengthening human spaceflight capabilities and contributing to improved national and allied security. Sharpe began work with Lockheed Martin after graduating in chemical engineering from The University of Alabama in 1984. He has been part of several initiatives with the company, including work on the NASA Space Shuttle Program, where he provided support to more than 100 launches, ultimately serving as director of Lockheed Martin’s Civil Space operations at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. In 2010, he was named the Huntsville Site director and director of Weapon Systems Integration for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Missile Systems and Advanced Programs business unit. He oversees operations of the Huntsville site with over 600 employees and teammates.
President and Chief Executive Officer, ONEOK and ONEOK Partners
As president and CEO of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners, Spencer is responsible for the organizations’ operations and support functions, including corporate planning and development, human resources, information technology, corporate services along with investor relations and public affairs. He is a member of the ONEOK Partners board of directors. Originally founded in 1906, ONEOK in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a Fortune 500 company involved in the natural gas and natural gas liquids industry. A native of Moundville, he graduated from The University of Alabama in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in mineral engineering, petroleum option. After his studies, he went on to hold positions of increasing responsibility in the natural gas gathering and processing industry before joining ONEOK in 2001. He became president in January 2012.
Contact
Adam Jones, UA media relations, 205/348-6444, acjones12@eng.ua.edu